Genesis 27:38

וָאֶשְׁאַ֣ל אֹתָ֗הּ וָאֹמַר֮ בַּת־מִ֣י אַתְּ֒ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר בַּת־בְּתוּאֵל֙ בֶּן־נָח֔וֹר אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָֽלְדָה־לּ֖וֹ מִלְכָּ֑ה וָאָשִׂ֤ם הַנֶּ֙זֶם֙ עַל־אַפָּ֔הּ וְהַצְּמִידִ֖יםוַיֹּ֨אמֶר עֵשָׂ֜ו אֶל־אָבִ֗יו הַֽבְרָכָ֨ה אַחַ֤ת הִֽוא־לְךָ֙ אָבִ֔י בָּרְכֵ֥נִי גַם־אָ֖נִי אָבִ֑י וַיִּשָּׂ֥א עֵשָׂ֛ו קֹל֖וֹ וַיֵּֽבְךְּ׃

And Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, Father? Bless me too, Father!” And Esau wept aloud.

The famous story of Jacob stealing Esau’s blessing ends with a heartbreaking moment. Hearing that his father has given all his blessings to Jacob, Esau cries out in grief and pain as he pleads with his father for just one blessing for him too. Isaac is adamant. There are no more blessings left. He has promised all the goodness he has to offer to his son Jacob. But, Esau keeps pushing. “Have you but one blessing, father?” he asks through his tears. And then, wouldn’t you know it, Isaac finds a blessing to bestow upon Esau.

Even when we think we have no more to give, there are moments, people, or places that open our hearts wider than we thought possible. Each of us is called to be a blessing to the world. That’s the promise and the responsibility God gave to Isaac’s dad Abraham, and it is our spiritual heritage. We can be conduits of goodness, empathy, and care, though it is rarely easy work.  And so this blessing to Esau becomes a reminder for us. Even when we feel drained, even when we tell ourselves we have nothing left, the well of goodness within us is deeper than we know, and we may find – just as Isaac did – that we still have a blessing to give.